Turbines



June 13, 1961 R. s. DOBBS 2,988,328

TURBINES Filed April 4, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 51/58 [Z S. abbs,

BY J

A TTORNEYS June 13, 1961 R. s. DOBBS 2,988,328

TURBINES Filed April 4, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY Gaza-3 ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 Filed April 4, 1957 R. S. DOBBS TURBINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 h w W m Q Q '-4\ J 2/ Q g Q Q a N W kgg Q; E

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ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 Filed April 4, 1957 R. s. DOBBS 2,988,328

TURBINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 .FIC5': 5

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 R. s. DOBBS 2,988,323

TURBINES Filed April 4, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 II/l1 II/l . I E I INVENTOR. 115.96! Z J. 05795,

73 88 89 l 91 J X ATTORNEYS INES This invention relates to turbines. More particularly, it is concerned with reversible turbines.

The chief aim of my invention is to provide a reversible turbine which is simple in construction, and in which the torque developed during rotation in one direction is greater than that developed during rotation in the opposite direction.

Another object of my invention is to provide simple means for controlling the operation of a turbine characterized as above, and also simplified automatically-operative means for regulating the speed in both directions of rotation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a reversible turbine in which all of the moving parts, including those of the control and speed regulating means, are completely housed for protection against damage and deterioration especially when the turbine is used as a power means out doors.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a combined turblue and control means conveniently embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 shows the organization in end elevation as seen from the left in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the organization in end elevation as seen from the right of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the organization.

' FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view in a staggered plane taken as indicated by the angled arrows V-V in FIGS. 1 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing how the turbine is operated and controlled.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are detail views in perspective of one of the bucket blade elements of the turbine rotor constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 9 is a detail view in section of the directional control valve for the turbine taken as indicated by the angled arrows IXIX in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are elevational views of certain parts of the directional control valve looking as indicated re spectively by the angled arrows XX and XI-XI in FIG. 9. r

From FIGS. 1-5 of these illustrations it will be observed that the power unit of my invention comprises a States Patent 0 the bearing 11 being lodged in a hollow provided jointly by said lower casing section 4 and the upper casing section 5 of the turbine.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the turbine rotor 1 has, at its periphery, a series of bucket blades 15 which are pitched in one direction, and, immediately inward of said series, another annular series of bucket blades 16 which are pitched in the opposite direction and which. are radially aligned with the buckets of the first series. In accordance with my'invention, the vanes 15 and 16 are integrally formed as a unit in pairs after the manner best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 and face laterally in opposite directions; each such unit having an upward stud projection 17 at the top and a substantially rectangular oblong section pendent shank projection 18 at the bottom, the latter projection having a pair of transverse parallel grooves 19 on one of its side faces. The central discous component 20 of the rotor 1 is provided with circumferentially spaced notches 21, see FIG. 5, which are cross sectionally configured to snugly receive the shanks 18 of the individual bucket units, said notches having in one side, transverse parallel grooves 22 corresponding to the grooves 19 in the shanks of said units. After placement of the bucket units, flat keeper rings 23 are applied to opposite side faces of the disk 20 to lap over the shanks 18 of the units, and securing rivets 25 are passed through said rings and the registering grooves 19 and 20 respectively in the shanks of said units and in the sides of the notches in said disk. Finally, a flat peripheral retaining band 26, apertured to clear the stud projections 17 of the bucket units, is ap plied and said projections are headed over as at 27 in FIG. 5 to secure said band.

At one side, the main or lower casing section 4 has a pressure fluid inlet 29 (FIG. 5) into which is connected a tangentially-arranged nozzle 30 for directing actuating pressure fluid which may compress air or gas into the rotor buckets 16 of the inner series. At the opposite side, the casing section 4 has another pressure fluid inlet 31 (FIG. 5) into which is connected a tangentially arranged nozzle 32 for directing the pressure fluid into the outermost series of rotor buckets 15. Exhaust from the turbine casing takes place through an outlet 33 at the bottom.

Beyond the ball bearing 10, the extended portion 12 of the base section 4 of the turbine casing and the supplemental casing section 13 jointly provide a bell 34 which is flanged as at 35, and is closed by another casing section 36 similarly flanged as at 37 and secured by cap screws 38 of which the shanks are passed through the flange 37 and threadedly engaged into the flange 35. As shown, the casing section 36 has a diametrically-reduced prolongation 39 in alignment with the axis of the turbine turbine of which the rotor is designated 1 and its shaft is designated 2. As shown, the rotor 1 revolves ina chamber 3 provided jointly by a main or lower casing section 4 and an upper casing section 5 which meet in a horizontal plane through the axis of the rotor, the upper section being secured to the lower section by screw bolts 6, see FIG. 1.

Opposite end portions of the rotor shaft 2 extend outwardly through hollow bosses 7 on the side walls of the chamber 3. Mounted on the shaft 2 within the hollows of the bosses 7 are segmental sealing rings 8 of carbon or the like Which are relied .upon to prevent fluid leakage from the chamber 3. The opposite ends of the rotor shaft 32 are rotatively supportedby ball bearings 10 and 11, the

bearing 10 being lodged in a hollow jointly provided by a lateral extension 12 of the lower casing section 4 and a cover section 13 secured thereto by separate bolts '14, and

shaft 2, which prolongation serves as the body of a throttling valve. At the top, the prolongation 39 is provided with a pressure fluid inlet 40 to which a supply pipe 41 is connected and, at the bottom with a pressure fluid outlet 42 both of which communicate into the axial bore in said prolongation; and disposed in said bore is a valve slide 46 which is urged rightward by a spring 47. The Valve slide 46 is arranged to be automatically actuated through a centrifugal governor 56) within the portion 34 of the housing. As. shown, the governor 50 includes a pair of agularly configured flyer elements 51 which pivot on the inturned edge of a circumferential flange of a disk 52 secured by-a pin 53 to the diametrically reduced extension 55 of the turbine shaft 2 immediately adjacent the ball bearing 10. The rounded ends of the short arms of the elements 51 with one end thereof bearing against the front of the cross bar 58 of the collar 59 is a plunger 61. To the outer end of the plunger 61 is secured the inner race of a ball thrust bearing 62 whereof the outer race is lodged in a cup like head 65 having axially set into its outer side a stud 66 which bears against the rounded inner end of the valve slide 46 previously referred to. Adjustable on the threaded distal end of the shaft extension 55 is a flanged nut 67 between which and the collar 59 a helical compression spring 68 is interposed, said spring acting to yieldingly resist outward swinging of the flyer elements 51 by centrifugal action during operation of the turbine.

The direction of rotation of the turbine is determinable by means of the manual valve indicated at 70 in FIGS. 1-3 and 6 and illustrated in detail in FIGS. 9 and 11. As shown, the body of the valve 70 is made in two parts 71 and 72. The part 71 is in the form of a plate with three ports 75, 76 and 77 extending through it, the port 75 being connected to the outlet port 42 of the throttle valve 39 by means of a conduit 78, the port 76 with the nozzle 32 of the turbine by means of a conduit 79, and the port 77 with the nozzle 30 of the turbine by means of a conduit 80. For the sake of simplicity and ease in assembling, the conduits 78, 79 and 80 are cast or otherwise formed as a unit and merge in a head 81 to which the body parts 71 and 72 of the valve 70 are secured by means of cap screws 82. The body component 72 of the valve 70 is hollow, and within it is a rotatable va-lve element 85 with an axial shaft projection 86 which extends to the exterior, and to the outer end of which an actuating crank handle 87 is afiixed. The element 85 bears against the inner .face of the component 71 of the valve body and interposed between the back thereof and the bottom of the hollow in the body component 72 is a ball thrust bearing 88. Formed in the valve element 85 are passages 89 and 90 for varianty bridging the ports in the part 71 as presently described to determine the direction of turbine rotation. Lodged in counterbores of the ports 75-77 in the part 71 are annular piston-like elements 91 which are urged by springs 92 into contact with the face of the valve element for fluid sealing purposes.

Operation With the crank handle 87 in the Neutral position of FIG. 1, pressure fluid flow to the nozzles 30 and 32 is prevented. By turning the handle 87 through a quadrant to the angular position indicated by the dash and dotted line A in FIG. 1, it will be seen from diagrammatic FIG. 6, that pressure fluid will pass from the conduit 78 through the port 75, the bridging passage 89 in the rotor element 85 of valve 70, port 76 and conduit 79 to the nozzle 32, to drive the turbine in one direction. On the other hand, when the lever 87 is swung from Neutral through a quadrant to the angular position indicated by the dash and dot line B in Fig. 1, the rotor element 85 of valve 70 will be turned so that its bridging passages 89 and 90 are positioned as shown in dash and dot lines in diagrammatic FIG. 6. Under this condition it will be seen that pressure fluid will now flow from conduit 78 through the port 75, the bridging passage 90, port 77, conduit 80 and nozzle 30 to drive the turbine in the opposite direction. During operation of the turbine in either direction, the governor 50 will function automatically to shift the plunger 46 of the throttling valve 39 to keep the turbine running at a definite speedof rotation. Since the bucket blades are further spaced from the rotor axis than the bucket blades 16, the torque developed when the nozzle 32 is used will obviously be greater than that developed when the nozzle 30 is used. Advantage is taken of this characteristic when the turbine is employed, for instance, as a power means for opening aesasas and closing large valves in pipe lines through which oil or liquids or gases are conducted over long distances after the manner set forth in a co-pending patent application Serial No. 503,450, filed by mo on April 25, 1955, now US. Patent No. 2,946,338. In such cases, the greater torque is applied in opening theline valves to overcome resistance due to the tendency of the closure elements of the valves to stick to their seats.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a reversible turbine structure which is simple in construction and reliable in operation and of which all the movable ports including those of the governor and the throttling valve and the control valve are housed against damage or deterioration from the weather so that it can be used as a reliable power source outdoors.

It is to be understood that I do not consider myself limited to the precise details of construction and arrange ment herein disclosed by way of example since various modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims as Will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A rotor for a reversible turbine comprising a disc having spaced substantially rectangular notch means in its circumferential edge, said notch means being provided with transverse groove means, integrally formed bucket units each having an outer blade pitched in one direction and an inner blade pitched in the opposite direction and each having substantially rectangular shank projection means pendent from the inner bucket blade secured in said notch means in the'disc, said shank means being provided with transverse groove means registering with the transverse groove means in said notch means, keeper rings secured to opposite sides of the disc overlappling said shank means and secured to the disc by rivets passed through the registering groove means in the shank means of the respective bucket units and the notch means in said disc and a retaining band surrounding the top ends of the bucket units at the periphery of the rotor.

2. The turbine rotor of claim 1 wherein the outer blades of the bucket elements are provided at their tops with stud projections and the retaining band is provided with oircumferentially spaced apertures in which said stud projections are engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STAT ES PATENTS 662,975 Sauer Dec. 4, 1900 737,121 Lindmark Aug. 25, 1903 755,062 Shepherd Mar. 22, 1904 756,606 Eastmoore Apr. 5, 1904 916,779 Piper Mar. 30, 1909 924,841 Schultz June 15, 1909 961,328 Wait June 14, 1910 986,317 Schmidt Mar. 7,1911 986,472 De Laval Mar. 14,1911 1,105,992 Muhl Aug. 4, 1914 1,108,945 Thompson Sept. 1, 1914 1,242,057 Slawter Oct. 2, 1917 1,446,084 Darling Feb. 20, 1923 2,081,611 Westman May 25, 1937 2,277,484 Flanders Mar. 24, 1942 2,432,315 Howard Dec. 9, 1947 2,618,460 Williams Nov. 18, 1952 2,650,017 Pedersen et a1 Aug. 25, 1953 2,810,513 McVeigh Oct. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 129,107 Great Britain July 3, 1919 250,728 Switzerland July 1, 1948 892,785 France Jan. 13, 1944 

